Cluster pack



March l, 1960 D. F. DICKHENS ET AL 2,926781 CLUSTER PACK Filed May 3l, 1957 Donald F. Dickhens and `Oscar. J.

92.6.1411 CLUSTER nacre wood, Mo., assignors to Alton Box Board Company, Alton, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 3l, 1957, SerialNo. 662,886 1` Claim. (Cl. 206-45-31) This invention relates to folding boxes, and more particularly to folding Vbox blanks of the type utilized 'in forming a Cluster pack for a pair of articles. l

For sales purposes, it is sometimesV desirable to enclose a pair of articles, such as food jars, in a folding paperboard box. Since this type of packaging operation is usually carried out in the food warehouse on a limited basis, filling and closing machines are not always practical. Accordingly, the blank must be designed so that it can be manually set up, filled and closed with minimum effort.

It will also be understood that the articles within the wrapper are often sold individually, and there may have been a large investment ,in acquainting the public with the appearance of the article itself. Accordingly, such a wrapper should be designed to expose a substantial area of the enclosed article. Ideally, the articles should be substantially exposed at the front, back and ends of the wrapper.

Although various other features of the invention will be apparent in the detailed description, briefly, such a two-article cluster pack is formed from a long paperboard blank, which is shipped in a flat condition, but which is transversely scored for folding to form front, back, bottom and top walls. One end of the blank may have a front panel, from which extend a pair of tongues adapted to interlock within slots cut in the other end of the blank. This other end of the blank is formed with a bottom panel and a projecting flap extending the width of the blank but which is relatively short in respect to the front walls. The liap is adapted to be turned upwardly inside the front wall, the tongues on the front wall then being inserted through slots cut in the fold between the llap and bottom wall.

Marginal portions extending the length of the blank are folded over and adhesively secured to the front and back walls but are not secured to the top and bottom walls. These marginal portions are further scored so that when the ends of the blank are brought together and interlocked, the marginal portions maybe folded back upon oneanother along 45 angles at the upper and lower corners to connect with marginal flanges which extend perpendicularly to the top and bottom walls across the otherwise open ends of the wrapper. Finally, a large flap is cut at one end of the front wall and folded inwardly between the two articles to expose one of the articles through the front wall, while a second flap is cutv at the other end of the back wall and folded so as to provide an opening in the back wall through which the other article is exposed.

Other features of the invention will' be in part apparent from and in part pointed out in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the ac companying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the container of this invention;

Pig. 2 is a view of the blank from which the container is formed;

Rudman, Jr., Brentj 2,926,781 PatentedMar. 1, 1960 ICC Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section through the container; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the container.

Referring to the drawings, the wrapper is formed from an elongate blank of solid berboard which is iinished or printed on one surface. The blank is trans-V versely scored along lines 1, 3, 5, and 7 so as to provide a front panel-9, a top panel 11, a back panel 13, a bottom panel 15, and an end flap 17. The other end 19 of the blank is cut to provide a pair of tongues 21 extending from the front panel, the tongues being foldable along scores 23 and undercut at 25 so as to interlock within slots 27 along the score 7 at the other end of the blank.

Marginal portions extending the length of the blank are folded over on scores 29 and are in part secured by adhesive. These marginal portions are transversely scored at lines 31, 33, 35 and 37, to define frame portions along the front, top, back and bottom panels respectively. Frame portions 39 and 41 for the front wall are adhesively secured substantially their full length and have 45 angle scores 38 adjacent the transverse scores 31. The frame portions 43 for the top panel are not secured thereto, nor are the frame portions 45 secured to the bottom panel. The frame portions 47 and 49 are adhered to the back panel and have 45 angle scores 51 at their ends. Finally, marginal portions 53 of the flap 45 have angled scores 59 and are adhered to the flap outwardly of the angled scores 59.

In packaging jars, the top panel 11 may be cut with two openings 61 through which the tops of the jars may project. The front wall 9 is cut at 63 to provide a ilap 65 which is hinged at 67 along a center line. The back wall 13 is similarly cut at 69 to provide a flap 71 hinged along a center line 73, but the flaps 65 and 71 project in opposite directions.

In assembly, a pair of jars are inserted through the openings 61 in the top panel 11, and the blank is folded about the articles. The end flap 17 is positioned against the lower inner surface of the front wall and the tongues 39 are inserted through the slots 37 to lock the wrapper in its erected condition. In folding the several panels 9, 13, 15 and 17, the flange portions 43 and 45 for the top and bottom walls are folded out at right angles to these walls, the other marginal portions otherwise folding back along the angled scores 38, 51 and'59. Also, the liaps 65 and 71 are folded inwardly so that they will extend between the two jars.

The resulting wrapper, as illustrated in Fig. l, fully encloses the two jars in neat fashion and also provides openings of substantial area at the ends, front and back thereof through which the articles are exposed. Moreover, the infolded marginal portions 39, 41, 47 and 49 improve the general appearance of the wrapper, bearing in mind that the wrapper is printed on only one surface. lt will be noted that the marginal portions 41 and 47 are` somewhat narrower than their opposite marginal portions 39 and 49 in order to permit infolding of the flaps.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that those skilled in the art will understand the structure, function and mode of operation of the invention herein disclosed, and appreciate the advantages thereof. Although one embodiment has been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but the drawings and description thereof are to be understood as being merely illustrative. It is realized that many modifications and variations will present themselves (to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope thereof as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described; the invention', what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A package comprising aapair of articles of predetermined substantially uniformy shape and size and a sleevetype paperboard wrapper enveloping Vsaid articles,` said wrapper beingfornied with foldably connected top, bottom, front and back walls, the ends of said wrapper being substantially open to expose the articles there within through said open ends, end portions of said front and back walls being folded inwardly thereagainst and end portions of said top and bottom walis being folded at right angles thereto into article-retaining positions, said p end portions ofthe top and bottom walls being held in article-retaining positions by integral connection with the infolded end portions of said front and back walls, a first window-defining ap cut and folded from the front wall at one end thereof, said flap cut extending parallel to and in spaced relationship from the end of the front Wall a distance approximatelyy equal to the width of said in-folded end portion of the front wall and said flap cut having upper and lower edges spaced from the top and bottom walls distances approximately equal to the width of the' article-retaining end portions of said top and bottom walls, said flap being hinged to the front wall along a vertical line centrally between the ends thereof and being folded inwardly between the pair of articles, and said back wall having a similar Window-denning ap cut and folded therefrom, the window-defining cut in the back wall being at the opposite end of the wrapper from that in the front wall, whereby the window opening in the front wall is opposite av solid area of the back wall and whereby the window opening in the back wall is l opposite a solid'portion' of. the front wall.

ReferencepszCited in the tile of this. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,911,215 Walter May 30, 1933 2,358,523 McKinley Sept. 19, 1944 2,399,537; Belden .-V. Apr. 30, 1946 2,425,140l Allen Aug. 5, 1947 2,713,452 Williamson July 19, 1955 2,739,735 Anderson Mar. 27, 1956 

